OUR HISTORY

One evening in 1984 Ena Campbell, Doris Corbin, Annette Chace and Donna Jaque stopped at Sherwood Centre for a coffee. There they launched into their favorite subject, forming an Art Society in the County. After much arm twisting Donna Jaque was persuaded to act as the chairperson of a steering committee for the much needed Art Society in Strathcona. Donna suggested that Esther Danielson, Nell Dunn of Cooking Lake, and Tom Woods of Sherwood Park, would be three excellent artists who would compliment their Group of Seven. They accepted and everything fell into place.

So, in 1984, another Group of Seven artists made history in Strathcona County, Alberta, Canada. Like true pioneers, they broke new sod and hewed out new trails with perseverance and dedication. Their goal was to lay a strong foundation on which to build an art society. Their year long commitment was a challenge of implementing a great dream with wisdom and integrity, which had to be right for all members, including themselves, and for all who came after. Their agenda was endless meetings of research, intense discussions and deliberations, and finally making a number of very important decisions. They each considered it a privilege to serve on the Steering Committee and be founding members of the Art Society of Strathcona County - incorporated on August 28th, 1985.

Over the years the ASSC (Art Society of Strathcona) progressed, and evolved to become a vibrant part of the community of Strathcona County. The ASSC continued to hold meetings, workshops and art shows but there was an ongoing problem of not having a "home" of its own, as all space was rented on a monthly basis. Meetings, shows, etc. at first were held at the Glen Allen Recreation Center, then the new Festival Place, then the old RCMP building, and then the Old Legion. However, in each of these cases, storage was a problem, and the ASSC would have to move.

An opportunity came in the year 2000 when, in discussions with the County of Strathcona Parks, Recreation and Culture, the A.J. Ottewell Center became an option. A proposal was made and presented to the County for the ASSC to take over the A. J. Ottewell Center on a lease basis. This was eventually accepted by the County, and the Art Society moved into the Center in April of 2002. The ASSC has become the operator of the facility, which is now rented out to various groups on an hourly or daily basis.